Smart but Scattered

The bright child who forgets the homework, loses the lunchbox, can't get out the door in the morning, and melts down over small transitions isn't lazy or careless. Dawson and Guare make the case that what's happening is executive-function lag — specific cognitive skills (working memory, response inhibition, task initiation, emotional control) that develop at their own pace, and develop later in ADHD kids.

The book gives parents a way to identify which executive skills their child is strong in and which are lagging, then provides specific scaffolding strategies for each. The framework is clear enough that parents can actually use it — not just nod along to it.

For parents whose child has been described as "smart but..." (lazy, careless, distracted, defiant), this book reframes the whole picture.